Extremes Of Hot And Cold
by tielan
Summary: The last time Mark Lorne checked the rules and regs of the Atlantis Handbook for Military Personnel, 'valour and chivalry' weren't mentioned in the context of 'behaviour expected of an officer when faced with a sexy woman undressing in a room with a bed.'


**NOTES**: Adult situations - please don't read if you're under 16!

Written for a request made on my LJ - the persons involved wanted Teyla/Lorne, stranded and cold.

**Extremes Of Hot And Cold  
**

It's going to be a long, cold night.

The instant they've made sure that the room is clear and that the windows are secure and the blinds drawn, Teyla begins stripping out of her sodden clothes.

Mark tries not to stare, but one of the sexiest women of his acquaintance is hauling her top over her head in a room where the bed is the biggest bit of furniture, and he's a guy.

"Uh, Teyla?"

She turns, her expression questioning. If she's concerned by the fact that she has an audience, she's doing a damned good job of not showing it.

He manages to indicate her state of undress. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

It takes her a moment to understand him. "Our clothing is wet through," she says. "We cannot sleep in it."

Okay, so she has a point. On the other hand, if she meant they were going to share a bed naked, then she was putting a lot of faith in Mark's self-control. And the last time Mark checked the rules and regulations of the Atlantis Handbook for Military Personnel, 'valour and chivalry' weren't mentioned in the context of 'behaviour expected of an officer when faced with a sexy woman undressing in a room with a bed'.

Hell, if there's any truth to the rumours running through the base about Colonel Sheppard, then the behaviour expected of an officer when faced with a beautiful woman in a room with a bed is nothing less than screwing her nine ways to Sunday. Assuming they have Sundays in this galaxy.

It's about that time that Mark realises he's in trouble.

Teyla catches his expression and smiles. "I promise not to look."

"I...uh... I appreciate that," he says, carefully not looking, although he feels it necessary to ask, "You're not going to take _everything_ off, are you?"

Her mouth twitches again, a private, secretive smile that makes him wish he hadn't asked, but just played it cool instead. "Would you be easier if I left something on?"

Mark unbuckles his P-90 strap and lays the gun on the table. "It's okay," he says. When she arches an eyebrow at him, he flushes - it's not something he can control. "We can tuck the sheets around us and still share body heat."

There's the twitch at her mouth again. "Very valiant."

"Thank you," he says, and politely turns his back and tells his body to behave.

At that point, cold, wet, and damp, his body behaves.

Later on, as they huddle together for warmth in the darkness, Teyla shifts. And Mark's body reminds him of just how long it's been since he was in bed with an attractive woman. When she shifts again, he winces.

She shifts again, almost thoughtfully. If it was any other woman, he'd say it was deliberate, but this is Teyla. Teasing a man is not her thing.

At least, he hopes it's not her thing or Mark is screwed - and not in the good sense.

He hisses as his body anticipates being screwed - in the good sense. It really _does_ have a mind of its own. "Uh, Teyla..."

"I understand," she says.

He hears her laughter in those two words and grits his teeth. Of all the embarrassing situations he'd expected in Pegasus, fighting a hard-on while in bed with a woman who catches the eye the way Teyla Emmagen does wasn't one of them.

"Sorry," he mutters.

"I understand," she repeats.

Their clothing - every stitch - is drying before the meagre heater. For modesty's sake - and because Mark knew better than to lie skin-to-skin in a bed with Teyla - a sheet is wrapped once around him, then tucked around her, and the rough wool blankets go over them both. He tries not to think about the distinct curves of the body he can still feel between the thin sheet. His body tightens again, and she lifts her head to look at him.

"Perhaps this is not a wise idea?"

"The alternative is freezing to death in the night," he points out. It can't be more than forty outside, and Mark thinks that's a generous estimate. "Just don't move." _Or laugh at me_.

Her mouth twitches, but she pillows her head on his shoulder and things are quiet for a little while. He still aches, but it's manageable. No man ever died from abstinence. And he really doubts that she's going to let him get to first base, let alone home.

"We should leave here before daylight."

"No argument from me. Where was the meeting place?"

"An hour's swift walk from the town." She tucks her hand beneath her chin. "Do you believe they will be looking for us?"

Mark isn't sure if she means their colleagues or the villagers who vented their suspicions upon the local militia. Either way, the answer is the same. "Inside the city? After we sneaked in? I'd be surprised."

She nods, almost to herself. "And Colonel Sheppard will be at the meeting point."

He notes that it's not a question. He also notes that it's not reassuring.

Sheppard or Dex, and probably both, are going to kill him when they find out about this. At the least, there will be hard looks, and possibly even less mercy on the sparring mat than usual. If McKay finds out, there will probably be commentary on the uselessness of military men at thinking with anything other than the little head, and Dr. Weir will smile in that way that feels like your older sister has just discovered condoms in your wallet at age sixteen.

"Do you have a partner on Earth?"

Mark rethinks his opinion of Sheppard and Dex; getting smacked about by one or both men is nothing to being blindsided by a question like that. Only a woman could jump topics so fast. And only Teyla would ask such a question of a man who's fighting a hard-on while lying next to her in bed, stark naked.

"We split just before I came here," he says at last. Things went bad at the end.

"So I need not fear another woman's wrath over this?" She regards him archly.

Laughter comes easy. "What if I have someone in Atlantis?"

Teyla considers it. "Then I am in a great deal of trouble and we will never mention this again."

Her smile isn't sexual, but Mark can definitely feel it in his balls. He sighs, resigns his body to the fact that it's not going to get lucky, and enjoys the feeling of Teyla Emmagen, naked, in his arms. God knows if he'll ever get this again.

In disjointed segments of conversation, they speak of Atlantis, of the people in the city, of her team-mates and his life on Earth, of his view on the Pegasus galaxy, and her life in the shadow of the Wraith. The moon crawls across the sky, but the darkness gives the conversation a dream-like state, as though Mark isn't naked in bed with a woman talking about things neither of them talk about.

Sleep comes sometime after a murmured conversation on the food in the Atlantis mess, and before the sky starts to lighten.

Dawn brings its own dangers - namely the half-awake, there's-a-woman-in-bed-with-me reaction that causes Mark to roll over and bury his nose in the exquisitely soft skin of her shoulder before he remembers what he's doing here and who he's with.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry, Teyla..." He's half out of the bed before his nakedness registers - along with the pre-dawn cold - and grabs for a corner of the sheet. "I..."

She lets out a shaky breath that turns into a soft laugh. "It is not entirely your fault, Major Lorne." Her eyes lift to his face and her skin has turned an exquisite rose beneath the tan.

Mark thinks of climbing back into the bed, stripping the sheet off her, and finding out just how far the flush extends. There are a lot of reasons why he doesn't. They're just not coming to mind at this moment. In fact, not a lot is going to his mind at all, mostly because Teyla's just looked away, and raked her fingers through her hair. She has to be unaware of the way the sheet is slipping down her breasts, because if she _is_ aware of it...

Mark can't think of a way to end that sentence, and in the end, he doesn't have to.

"I believe we should clothe ourselves and leave for the meeting point," she says, the gorgeous pink still all over her throat and shoulders.

He croaks agreement, they get changed, and sneak out of the city as the dawn watch is replaced. Mark sneaks a peek at her as she's getting dressed, and he's pretty sure she does the same. But they're all business once they're dressed in their mostly-dry clothing and walking through the city, avoiding the lamps being extinguished one by one.

Sheppard is, indeed, at the meeting point and, joy of all joys, he's got Dex with him.

"Have a good night?"

Innumerable ways to answer that question, and most of them will get Mark into trouble. Teyla answers for both of them. "But for being hunted, it was...pleasant."

Sheppard eyes her. "How did you manage to stay under radar anyway?"

"We went into the city."

That gets a double-take from both men - as it got from Mark when she first suggested it. "You went into the city?"

"Yes," Teyla has the slightly-smug look of a woman whose plan worked in the face of several men saying it wouldn't. "Dr. McKay received our message?"

"Yeah. You took a leaf out of Ronon's book." At Teyla's arched look, Sheppard qualifies. "Terse."

Ronon snorts, and Teyla smiles. Mark bites back a grin. Sheppard rolls his eyes and ushers them into the 'jumper. Mark notes that Teyla moves to take the front passenger seat without conscious thought, and that Ronon takes the seat behind her, leaving him to sit behind Sheppard.

"So where'd you stay?" The question is from Ronon and directed at Mark.

"A hostel."

"So, did you kids behave yourselves?" It should be an arch question, but comes out fully loaded. Mark knows that both men are looking at him.

Teyla glances back at him, and there's a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. "_I_ did."

Alarmed at the way she's left him hanging, Mark opens his mouth to defend himself, since both Sheppard and Dex's heads have swivelled to look at him with the dark gazes of '_And you, Major?_' Mark starts seeing his future in the vivid technicolour of bruises and the harsh grate of reprimands.

Then Teyla startles them all by continuing. "I kept my hands entirely to myself all night," she says solemnly. "Major Lorne should have nothing to complain of."

All three men turn to stare at her. She manages to keep the serious expression a moment longer before it dissolves into a broad smile. Ronon chuckles and Mark breathes again. Sheppard still looks like he's going to be a little harder on Mark for the next few days, but the dangerous look is gone.

The Colonel shakes his head and turns back to the console, starting up the 'jumper with nothing more than a thought. "Okay, okay. We're going home." He glances at Teyla, almost resentfully. "We were worried about you, you know."

Mark isn't going to comment on the way Sheppard's directed it at Teyla. They're team-mates and friends, and if there's anything more between them, neither of them are saying.

"We know, Colonel."

Okay, so Mark does a little bit of silent gloating at the plural she uses. And as Sheppard gets them off the ground, Teyla glances back.

Her eyes hold Mark's, and he feels warmed through.

- **fin** -


End file.
